What, What, What…!

Recently, a TikTok video filmed at a high school in Konak, İzmir, made headlines due to the disrespectful behavior of the students. In the video, several students are dancing in an unpleasant manner around a religious culture and ethics teacher. Throughout the video, they are what, what, what… circling the teacher with disrespectful and mocking expressions to the beat of a song. What is the teacher doing? Just standing there, watching the students. This situation is also an indication that teachers have become desensitized to such incidents.

You know that question we, as a society, ask so often in such situations: “What has happened to us?”Well, what is happening to these students? Why has indiscipline in schools spiraled out of control? Why are both peer bullying and disrespect toward teachers among students steadily increasing? First of all, it must be stated clearly and bluntly that things have gone off the rails. Schools had unfortunately already turned into places that merely babysit students, and now they have become unable to fulfill even that function. The classic school system is collapsing. Everyone is aware of this collapse, but because it is very difficult to produce alternatives or fix this situation, everyone is content with just watching the collapse.

One of the most significant reasons for the loss of control regarding discipline in schools is the weakening of teacher authority by the system. At one point, a 147 teacher complaint hotline was even established. In the slightest situation, parents and students could call this line to report teachers. Teachers working under such pressure naturally became passive in the classroom over time. Grade retention was not implemented for years. No matter how low their grades were, students passed their classes one by one. This created a sense in them that 'no matter what we do, we pass anyway,' and teacher authority was further eroded. With these and similar practices, teachers lost their power within the school. When you add incompetent school administrators appointed without merit to this, the situation regarding discipline spiraled out of control. 

Is the system solely to blame for students exhibiting such disrespectful behavior? Certainly not. One of the important points here is that families fail to provide the moral education they should give their children from the very beginning. It is a fact that education begins in the family. In other words, the family buttons the first button of the shirt. If that button is not buttoned or is buttoned incorrectly, there is nothing left for the school and teachers to do. All teachers have experienced this in their professional lives: if a student is problematic, it is highly likely that the root of the problem lies with the family. When meeting with the parents of problematic children, it becomes clear that the problem stems from them. The moral decay that has recently increased in our society also manifests itself in the inability of families to raise moral individuals who respect their surroundings. 

If the Ministry of National Education (MEB) wants to do something about this, it must immediately take steps to strengthen the authority of teachers. Competent administrators who can truly ensure discipline in schools should be appointed, and short-sighted administrators who occupy positions solely due to political affiliations should be removed from office. Closer contact should be established with families, and families should be made more aware. If these are not done, we will continue to watch such videos, and even worse ones, with astonishment, saying 'what, what, what'.